As part of a new initiative which aims to encourage locals to adopt reusable shopping bags

• Ahmad Al-Amir: “We have all been entrusted with our beloved Kuwait's environment; as trustees, we must all join hands to preserve this precious resource."
• The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step — Gulf Bank is proud to kickstart this initiative by distributing 100,000 reusable shopping bags.
• Ahmed Al-Rashed: We are proud to partner with private and public sector institutions in implementing important initiatives for local society.
• Haamed Al-Ibrahim: Gulf Bank has always played an important role in supporting the community through environmental initiatives.
• Adel Al-Srayie: We are excited to collaborate with Gulf Bank through this initiative, and we look forward to participating in similar initiatives in the future.
• Khalid Al-Dirbas: We are keen to motivate shareholders to adopt reusable bags.
• Mohammed Al-Saeed: This is an opportunity to actively participate and educate the community on the importance of preserving Kuwait's environment.

In keeping with its ongoing sustainability efforts, and as part of its strategy for the year 2025, Gulf Bank has partnered with five of the largest cooperative societies in Kuwait to launch the "Environmental Sustainability" initiative, a new initiative which aims to encourage locals to adopt reusable shopping bags, change the local shopping culture, and preserve the Kuwaiti environment.

Gulf Bank's initiative for environmental sustainability coincides with the country's environmental strategy which was launched as part of the national development plan, "New Kuwait 2035" vision. The new initiative also falls in line with environmental legislation and protection laws that aim to mitigate the consumption of natural resources, reduce pollution rates, preserve environmental integrity, rehabilitate local ecosystems, protect biodiversity, improve waste management efficiency, invest in sustainable energies, and build and develop national skill sets in the field of environmental work.

On this occasion, the Deputy General Manager of Corporate Communications at Gulf Bank, Ahmad Al-Amir, said during a press conference (yesterday) that the Bank plays a prominent role in consolidating the principles of social, economic, and environmental sustainability in society by launching targeted initiatives that benefit local society.

He added: “Gulf Bank's initiative for environmental sustainability comes within a series of initiatives aimed at consolidating the concepts of sustainability in society. In order to achieve the goals of the initiative, we recognized the importance of taking that first step, and that is why we are excited to launch this initiative with select co-ops in Kuwait.”

He continued: “We are pleased to partner with local co-ops to achieve our goals by providing them with about 100,000 reusable shopping bags. Our aim is to distribute these bags to shareholders as a first step towards changing our local purchasing culture, encouraging buyers to adopt reusable bags and make them part of their shopping habits.”

He pointed out that this initiative will be adopted by various other local organizations, saying, “We are currently focusing on changing our local culture, and we hope that this initiative will inspire future efforts at the governmental level, with legislation that supports and enhances the private sector’s efforts to protect Kuwait's environment.”

Al-Amir concluded by saying, "On this occasion, I would be remiss if I did not thank the heads and officials of the local co-ops participating in the Gulf Bank initiative. Finally, I would like to state an important message: We have all been entrusted with our beloved Kuwait's environment; as trustees, we must all join hands to preserve this precious resource."

Participating Local Co-ops

For their part, the heads and officials of the partnering co-op societies thanked Gulf Bank for launching an initiative of this nature, praising its goals of changing local culture and encouraging locals to adopt reusable shopping bags.

Ahmed Al-Rashed, the head of the board of directors of the Dahiat Abdullah Al-Salem and Al-Mansouriya Co-operative Society said, “We would like to thank Gulf Bank for choosing the Dahiat Abdullah Al-Salem and Al-Mansouriya Co-operative Society to participate in this distinguished initiative. Our co-op has long been known for its role in community service and its cooperation with private and public sector institutions in implementing various initiatives.”

Haamed Al-Ibrahim, member of the board of directors of the Al Rawda and Hawally Co-operative Society, pointed to the vital role played by the cooperative societies in Kuwait in supporting the society socially and economically, and their keenness to support national and local environmental efforts. They praised the role of Gulf Bank and the Kuwaiti banking sector in supporting local society through spearheading various important initiatives.

Adel Al-Srayie, the general manager of the Mishref Co-operative Society, added, “This initiative is of particular importance, as it is one of the critical initiatives aimed at protecting the Kuwaiti environment. We would like to thank Gulf Bank for launching this initiative and for partnering with local co-ops to achieve its goals.”

He added: “In light of the ongoing effects of climate change and in an effort to preserve our beloved State of Kuwait, I would like to take this opportunity to call on all private and public sector institutions to support local initiatives aimed at enhancing our local culture and preserving our environment.”

Khalid Al-Dirbas, the head of the board of directors of the Al-Shamiya and Al-Shuwaikh Co-operative Society stressed the keenness of the co-op’s board of directors to participate in Gulf Bank’s initiative and encourage shareholders to adopt reusable shopping bags. He wished their co-op partners and Gulf Bank the best of luck and success in spearheading this initiative.

Mohammed Al-Saeed, a member of the board of directors of the Kaifan Co-operative Society, pointed out that protecting the environment in Kuwait will require a series of initiatives and collaborations from the local community. He thanked Gulf Bank for taking the lead and initiating the launch of the reusable shopping bags initiative, an opportunity to actively participate and educate the community on the importance of preserving the environment and shifting toward more sustainable options.

Similarly, Abdullah Ashkanani from the Department of Public Relations and Information at the Environment Public Authority praised Gulf Bank’s latest sustainability initiative, stressing that the authority spares no effort to protect Kuwait's environment and supports any and all initiatives that align with this strategy.

Regarding the impact of plastic on Kuwait's environment, Walid Al-Fadhel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Environmental Voluntary Foundation and the head of the Kuwaiti diving team, added that the diving team extracts about 10 tons of plastic waste every week the northern and southern coasts of the country and neighboring Kuwaiti islands. He added that international reports note that about a million seabirds die annually from eating plastic, and some plastic parts need 500 years to decompose.

He added that environmental sustainability issues are being resolved slowly but steadily all around the world, especially as people start to become more aware of the impact that sustainability initiatives have on the local ecosystem. He noted that Gulf Bank’s initiative is especially noteworthy because it is being carried out in partnership with local co-operative societies that are regularly frequented by Kuwaiti families.

Gulf Bank's vision is to be the leading Kuwaiti Bank of the Future. The Bank is constantly engaging and empowering its employees as part of an inclusive and diversified workplace in recognition of every employee’s role in delivering customer excellence and serving the community at large. With its extensive network of branches and innovative digital services, Gulf Bank is able to give its customers the choice of how and where to conduct their banking transactions, all while ensuring a simple and seamless banking experience.

Gulf Bank is committed to maintaining a robust sustainability program at the community, economic, and environmental levels through sustainability initiatives that are strategically selected to benefit both the country and the Bank. Gulf Bank supports Kuwait Vision 2035 “New Kuwait” and works with various parties to achieve it.